An 'alpacalypse' of adorable: Why everyone from millennials to seniors are flocking to Sask. alpaca farms
Sask. farmer spent more than 20 years watching alpacas charm all, from kids to seniors
Alpacas might be funny-looking creatures, but they have a special magic, according to one Saskatchewan farmer — and it's casting a spell on millennials.
"I've experienced that quiet calm of the alpaca. But I could never put it to words," said Lynn Hilderman.
She and her husband owned Country Vista Alpacas in Strasbourg for more than 20 years.
"There's something about these animals. They definitely have a therapeutic effect."
Millennials are drawn by the allure of these creatures, leading to alpacas making appearances on mass-produced Wal-Mart mugs, an Alpacas of Instagram page with more than 200,000 followers and — of course — oodles of selfies.
For Hilderman, the selfies are just a no-brainer.
"I'm not a millennial, I don't do selfies, but I definitely have a phone full of selfies with alpacas," she says, laughing.
Hilderman and her husband recently sold their farm, but while they were still operating it she saw alpacas work their voodoo on countless visitors. People would come out to have picnics surrounded by alpacas. She remembers a group of girls feeding alpacas pellets from their hands.
"The girls they were just squealing, they were so excited."
We talked about humming alpacas today with Lynn Hilderman, who ran Country Vista Alpacas with her husband for more than 20 years. She sent me this video. <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCSask?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cbcsask</a> <a href="https://t.co/eTNahob9t5">pic.twitter.com/eTNahob9t5</a>
—@SLangeneggerCBCSchools and senior groups also made their way to the farm. Hilderman said that even their oldest visitors had their hearts melted by the furry creatures.
"I've got some pictures of the biggest smiles," she said. "They were... alive. It was kind of awesome to see."
Hilderman said there may be a few "crotchety" people that could withstand the alpacas' charms, but she's pretty sure they're in the minority.
"I would say 99 per cent of the people that have been to the farm love them."
People who want to book tours can visit the Saskatchewan Alpacas Breeders Network website, where they can look up farms that have alpacas and find contact details to arrange visits.
If you love alpacas so much that you aren't content to just drive out to a farm for the day, now is a good time to get into the alpaca industry, according to Hilderman.
The cost for alpacas has come down substantially, and there are more mills and a more compelling case to sell and produce fibre from their coats.
"I feel we're on the cusp of something really, really good."
With files from CBC Saskatchewan's Morning Edition